Regressive Taxation In Ohio

The tax system in Ohio is unfair. It’s a regressive tax system. We need a fair tax system in Ohio. We need a progressive tax system.

What do I mean when I say Ohio has a regressive tax system? If you look at all of the taxes people pay in Ohio, and add them together, the tax responsibility we all share, is spread in such a way that it cuts into the basic security of those who have less and isn’t asking enough from those who have most.

Here’s the same information presented in a slightly different way.

How we as a state calculate how much revenue we need to generate, should be similar to the way an individual calculates how much money they need to earn. A person’s goals for how much money they want to earn are based on what they value, and what they want to accomplish. What do we value Ohio? What do we want to accomplish? Do we want to make sure everyone in Ohio has clean air, clean water, a good education, a good job, health care, a reasonable level of safety, economic security, and equal access to the the democratic process? OK, so we need to calculate how much revenue we’ll need to generate to reach those goals, and then we’ll need to devise a progressive system for generating that revenue. Sound good? Let’s go!

Taxes are the price we pay for civilization. What is civilization for? Isn’t it for helping humanity reach its highest potential? Don’t we need to help all individuals reach their highest potential in order for that to happen? We all do better when we all do better. The purpose of the government we created is to promote the general welfare. To secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

As State Senator Nina Turner says, we are born with two hands, one to reach forward and one to reach back. Lifting as we climb.

We currently have a regressive tax system in Ohio. We can fix that problem. The first step is letting everyone know we have that problem.